Spinning toys



July 21, 1964 E. D. BURTON 3,141,262

SPINNING TOYS Filed Oct. 15. 1962 FIGZ INVENTOR EDWIN D. BURTON BY mm z;

ATTORNEYJ United States Patent 3,141,262 SPINNING TOYS Edwin D. Burton, 1523 Smallhouse Road, Bowling Green, Ky. Filed Oct. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 230,474 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-47) This invention relates to spinning toys which children and adults may operate with a minimum of practice for fun and for exercise.

An object of the invention is to produce a spinning toy which is inexpensive, simple and safe.

A further object of the invention is to produce a spinning toy which is operable by a spinning rod and which will not normally become separated from its spinning rod when the spinning stops, yet is not mechanically fixed to the spinning rod.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conical shell top in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a spinning rod;

FIGURE 3 is a view showing a portion of the conical shell top in vertical section and the spinning rod in elevation;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the toy in use; and

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of another form of the conical shell top showing a striated inner surface, an integral rounded inner apex, and a beading.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1-4 comprises two parts, a conical shell top T and a rod R. The conical shell top T is constructed of any desired material such as plastic, cardboard, sheet metal or the like. The conical shell top T is formed with an outer surface 1 and an inner surface 2. The inner surface 2 may be a relatively high friction substantially continuous nonindented surface such as that used in sandpaper or the like as shown in FIGURE 3, but without the highly abrasive quality. The inner surface 2 as shown in FIG- URE 3 may be roughened with an abrasive material or it may be coated with a friction producing facing product. The shell is formed with an outer apex 3 and an inner apex 4. The inner apex 4 may be formed to a sharp and pointed top as shown in FIGURE 3, or the inner apex may be formed in a rounded inner apex 6. FIGURE 3 shows a sharp pointed inner apex 4 construction with a filler 5 of some hard material, such as hardened plastic wood, fixed in the inner apex 4 to round it out.

The rounded inner apex 6 has a recess 7 disposed therein on the axis of the conical shell. This recess 7 can either be disposed in the filler 5 forming the rounded inner apex 6 as shown in FIGURE 3, or it may be disposed in a rounded inner apex which is integral with the conical shell as in FIGURE 5. The bottom rim 8 of the spherical shell defines a substantially circular and open bottom. A beading 12 may be formed in the lower portion of the conical shell as in FIGURE 5 to add strength and rigidity to the cone and to help it sustain its shape under rough treatment. The outer surface 1 may be colored with bright designs to enhance the appearance of the toy.

The rod R is formed with a lower portion or shank 9 and a pointed tip 10. The rod R may be constructed of any desired material such as nylon, plastic, wood, metal or the like.

In the operation of the toy, the rod R is held at the lower portion 9 and the conical shell top T is balanced on the rod R so the recess 7 receives the rod tip 10. When the operator imparts a rotary or orbital motion to the tip 10 of the rod R, the tip leaves the recess 7, moves along the rounded inner apex 6 and acts on the roughened inner surface 2 of the conical shell top T, causing the shell T to begin to twirl or rotate. Initially Patented July 21, 1964 the tip 10 is caused to leave the recess 7 by the relative motion between the rod tip 10 and the conical shell top T. As the rotating tip 10 frictionally operates on the roughened surface 2, the shell T begins to rotate. The tip 10 is partially sliding on the inn-er surface 2, partially rolling thereon, and partially frictionally acting thereon, urging the shell T to rotate. As the speed of rotation of the shell T increases and the speed of rotation of the rod tip 19 is increased, the rod tip 10 will engage the inner surface 2 of the shell T closer to the rim 8. The tip may act on any portion of the inner surface 2, depending on the speed of rotation of the rod tip 10 and the shell T and their relative rotation. Continuous and ever increasing rotary motion of the rod tip 10 will cause the conical shell top T to increase its rate of rotation. When the shell T is brought up to the desired rate of rotation, the rotary motion being applied to the rod R may be stopped and the rod point 10 will be brought back into the recess 7 as the conical shell T continues to spin on the rod R.

The form of the conical shell shown in FIGURE 5 is formed with a rough or striated inner surface 2. The striations consist of grooves or channels 11 extending substantially radially from the rounded inner apex 6 outwardly and downwardly in the direction of the bead 12. These striations may, for example, begin three fourths of an inch from the apex of the conical shell and extend one half of the way to the rim 8. This form of the conical shell is used with the rod R as previously described.

In using the form of shell embodying striations illustrated in FIGURE 5, the shell top T is balanced on the rod tip 10 with the recess 7 receiving the tip 10. When an orbital motion is imparted to the tip 10, the rod tip ltl moves out of the recess 7 and moves onto the striated inner surface 2 in much the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGURES 14. The tip 10 acts on the striated surface 2' to impart a rotation to the conical shell. When the shell is brought up to the desired rate of rotation and the rotary motion being applied to the rod R stopped, the striations will act as channels to guide the tip 1i) back to the rounded inner apex 6 and thence into the recess 7.

Movement of the rod R from side to side will cause the gyroseopic properties of the spinning mass to affect the attitude of the spinning conical shell on the rod. The pointed tip 10 of the rod R disposed in the recess 7 of the conical shell T produces relatively little friction, thereby allowing the shell T to spin freely on the rod R.

The apparatus shown and described is representative of the invention, but the disclosure is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive, the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A spinning toy comprising a conical shell formed with an inner and outer apex and an inner and outer surface, and an open bottom portion, said shell having a rough inner surface and a rounded inner apex and a recess in said rounded inner apex; and a rod formed with one pointed end, said rod being adapted to be hand held at its nonpointed end, to support the conical shell by the recess in the rounded inner apex at its pointed end, said pointed end being received in said recess, and to be given a rotary motion whereby the pointed end of said rod moves out of the recess and acts on the rough inner surface of the shell to cause the shell to spin, said pointed end of said rod returning to said recess when said rotary motion of said rod is stopped whereby said conical shell spins on said pointed end of said rod.

2. A spinning toy as in claim 1 wherein the rounded inner apex is a separate piece of filler material formed with a recess and fixed in the inner apex of the conical shell.

3. A spinning toy as in claim 1 wherein the rough inner surface is a friction producing facing fixed to the inner surface of the conical shell.

4. A spinning toy as in claim 1 wherein the rough inner surface is striated.

5. A spinning toy comprising a conical shell formed with an inner and outer apex and an inner and outer surface, and an open bottom portion, said shell having a substantially continuous rough inner surface and a rounded inner apex and a recess in said rounded inner apex; and a rod formed with one pointed end, said rod being adapted to be hand held at its nonpointed end, to support the conical shell by the recess in the rounded inner apex at its pointed end, said pointed end being received in said recess, and to be given a rotary motion whereby the pointed end of said rod moves out of the recess and acts on the rough inner surface of the shell to cause the shell to spin, said pointed end of said rod returning to said recess when said rotary motion of said rod is stopped whereby said conical shell spins on said pointed end of said rod.

6. A spinning toy according to claim 5 in which said conical shell has a beading adjacent said open bottom portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Worst Mar. 1, 1938 Quinones Feb. 12, 1963 

1. A SPINNING TOY COMPRISING A CONICAL SHELL FORMED WITH AN INNER AND OUTER APEX AND AN INNER AND OUTER SURFACE, AND AN OPEN BOTTOM PORTION, SAID SHELL HAVING A ROUGH INNER SURFACE AND A ROUNDED INNER APEX AND A RECESS IN SAID ROUNDED INNER APEX; AND A ROD FORMED WITH ONE POINTED END, SAID ROD BEING ADAPTED TO BE HAND HELD AT ITS NONPOINTED END, TO SUPPORT THE CONICAL SHELL BY THE RECESS IN THE ROUNDED INNER APEX AT ITS POINTED END, SAID POINTED END BEING RECEIVED IN SAID RECESS, AND TO BE GIVEN A ROTARY MOTION WHEREBY THE POINTED END OF SAID ROD MOVES OUT OF THE RECESS AND ACTS ON THE ROUGH INNER SURFACE OF THE SHELL TO CAUSE THE SHELL TO SPIN, SAID POINTED END OF SAID ROD RETURNING TO SAID RECESS WHEN SAID ROTARY MOTION OF SAID ROD IS STOPPED WHEREBY SAID CONICAL SHELL SPINS ON SAID POINTED END OF SAID ROD. 